Debbie's Hypnotherapy Blogs

Keeping up with your resolutions

Are you keeping up with your resolutions?Now we’re getting into the New Year, a lot of people are wavering on their resolutions. Don’t be embarrassed, we’ve all been there. Here are some ideas for how to stick with them.

Are you biting off more than you can chew?It’s tempting to go with “lose ten stone” or “save enough money to fly to Fiji” as a resolution; after all, you have a whole year, that’s plenty of time to get big things done! However, you still have to start with the little steps, and trying to make a big change all at once is still going to leave you feeling overwhelmed. It’s also a good idea not to try to make several resolutions at once, as you’re likely to end up struggling to prioritise and end up doing none of them. Try changing your resolution to take just a small step instead, and when that becomes part of your regular routine, add another step. For example, if you want to save enough money for the dream holiday, make a resolution to walk instead of taking the bus every day, or to buy a cheaper brand of something you’re not too attached to. When you’re used to that, make another small change, and watch them add up!

Are you discussing it?Chatting about resolutions with friends and family and encouraging each other can help a lot. If someone you know made the same resolution you did, you can work out a system together to help you keep it up. If you and your workmate both want to exercise more, try jogging or swimming together! If you prefer, join a group devoted specifically to the thing you’re trying to do – if there aren’t any local ones the internet can help. Be nice, don’t gloat! Congratulate each other when you succeed, commiserate but don’t wallow if you slip up, and share any tips you found helpful. Not all the tips which worked for you will work for them or vice versa, but it can’t hurt to try them.

Are you worrying too much over slip-ups?Everyone makes mistakes when trying to make a change. It’s normal and you didn’t fail! Don’t be upset if you skipped your new evening class or didn’t do all the chores you’d meant to keep up with when you had to do overtime at work or when your kids were ill. Sometimes other things take priority, and you can always go back to your resolution afterwards. It may help to make a note of what caused the slip-up, especially if it happens multiple times, so you can try to overcome that. Also, try building in cheat days as a reward when you’ve kept it up for a certain amount of time!

Are you keeping track of what you’re doing?Try keeping a checklist of steps you want or need to take to reach your goal and a diary of what you’ve done to reach those goals each day/week/month. It’ll help you remember what you still need to do, and encourage you by showing you how far you’ve already come!

Are you getting the help you need?If it's all a bit too much to manage on your own, it's not a failure to get a bit of a boost. Hypnotherapy can help with motivation, stress reduction, time management, confidence, accepting change, and much more. Give me a ring to see how I can help.

Debbie's Blog

Debbie Waller is a professional hypnotherapist, specialising in stress, anxiety and related issues. She also offers EMDR which is used for trauma, PTSD, phobias and OCD and publishes hypnotherapy-for-ibs.co.uk for those interested in using hypnotherapy to relieve the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.

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